


A Glimpse.

by ConfusedUnit



Series: The Other Side [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Multi, additional tags to be added as chapters progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-14 19:10:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13014300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfusedUnit/pseuds/ConfusedUnit
Summary: This is my collection of fics I have written for the Twelve Days Of Fic-Mas, this year.





	1. Ana finds Jack

**Author's Note:**

> These fics all tie into my other current series, The Other Side Looks The GD Same. This is backstory for that, and from the perspective of different characters.  
> I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Chapters:  
> 1 - Ana finds Jack  
> 2 - They lose Ana.

Jack’s being watched.

He notices it early, of course. A feeling of eyes on him at all times wasn’t unusual, or hard to recognise. For a while, he assumes it must be the cameras, It wouldn’t surprise him. After all, cameras are everywhere. And he knows they’re finding him, he’s seen the pictures posted online.

He lets it go.

-

Ana can’t let the thought go.

There’s something about the vigilante, Soldier 76, that...reminds her of the past. “And it’s not just the fact that he seems to be raiding old Overwatch haunts.

She follows him when he’s spotted in the area, one eye on him at all times. She can’t tell who he works for. She doesn’t know his game.

She might as well look into it. It’s her old stomping grounds, after all.

-

There is definitely someone following him.

He’s not just sure because of the constant feeling he has even when he’s away from cameras, or the fact that Talon’s gotten pissed at him.

But when he’s pinned down one moment,and the men are down the other, he’s sure. He looks at the bullets in the bodies from where he’s hidden, before seeing another man get shot down by a sniper.

He abandons the information mission, and runs.

-

She can’t fucking believe it.

She saw the papers. The destruction. So this can’t be right.There is now way in hell that Soldier 76, the vigilante who lives like a depressed raccoon, is Jack. But she’s seen his methods, his fighting style, and she knows it.

“How could it be him? Everything I’ve seen says that they both died...” Ana sighs, rubbing her face. “...Being fair, the same could be said about me. But if it’s him...” She pushes herself to her feet. “There is only one way to find out.”

-

He’s going to die here.

He was careless, took too many hits, and he knows it. He always gets careless this time of year.

His arm is dislocated, and he’s taken shots to his chest and leg. His head hit the pavement hard enough to disconnect his visor, giving him a faded glimpse into the darkness of the alleyway. He’s pulled himself into the corner, pressed against the makeshift wall behind him.

He never wanted to die in a gutter in a city he doesn’t remember the name of, but beggars can’t be choosers. And he’s been begging for far too long. He closes his eyes as he hears footsteps get closer, waiting.

He hears two shots, three, four, before he realizes he’s not in any more pain. He opens his eyes to see a figure standing in the middle of the bodies, sniper rifle on their back.

He grimaces as he recognises them. “You’re the Shrike.” His voice is more gruff, rough from disuse. “What do you want?”

The Shrike’s hood turns to stare at him, as they step forward.

“I hope you know, I’m not going to roll over and let you-” His words are cut off when the Shrike pulls out a small pistol like gun, shooting him in the chest. He startles as he realizes it doesn’t hurt, wondering if the shock is getting to him already.

He falls after the Shrike shoots four more times, fading to unconsciousness.

-

She can’t fucking believe this.

Jack’s alive. Jack is alive, and on her couch. Unconscious.

She called Fareeha as soon as she had gotten to her safehouse, on edge and not knowing what to do. Fareeha had calmed her down, and told her to tell Jack who she was.

Which led to now, Ana sitting in a chair near the couch, Jack unconscious on the couch with his arms and legs bound. She remembers how a startled super soldier can lash out when injured. She’d rather he at least knew she was alive before he punched her.

His mask is back in place. She had taken it off to confirm who he was, but she remembered how his eyes had been giving up on him all those years ago on base, and she puts it back into place.

-

Jack wakes up slowly, which is unusual for him these days. He doesn’t hurt. He’s sore, yes, but not in pain. He feels something soft under his head, something else soft over his body up to his neck. His mask is still in place, but even through the air filters he can smell the scent of tea.

He slowly opens his eyes, tugging slightly on his arms. His eyes narrow. Both his arms and legs are bound, which means he was captured...He remembers the last fight, and he sighs. Of course someone would want to play prisoners.

He looks around to take stock. He’s on a couch, with a blanket over him, and a pillow under his head. His arms and legs are bound, but just enough to keep him from being to lash out, not enough to hurt. He’s sore, but he doesn’t feel the pain of the injuries from yesterday nearly as much. His chest doesn’t hurt. Someone is sitting nearby.

He turns his head to look at them. “...You.”

The hooded mask of the Shrike stares back at him.

“What do you want?”

“Answers.”

He tenses up. The voice sounds familiar, and that terrifies him. “What kind of answers?”

“You can guess, Jack.” The Shrike reaches up, removing the mask with a soft click, pulling it away from her face. “...How are you alive?”

Jack stares at her. “...I could ask you the same thing. Ana...”

“I’m sorry, Jack. I was injured in that mission, and I should have listened to you, but I didn’t. By the time I recovered, and tried to make my way back home..” Ana looks down at her hands. “There was nothing left to return to.”

Jack slowly sits up. “...You’re the one who’s been following me.”

“Someone’s got to keep an eye on you. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that you never did learn to care about your own well being. I see that hasn’t changed.”

“I’m not that bad, Ana...”

“You live under roadway overpasses, and in abandoned buildings full of trash. You don’t seem to have invested in a proper safehouse in years, you’re coated in so much grime I think you’ve grown in height, and I can see your ribs, Jack.”

“Okay, okay.” Jack sighs. “...You’re not wrong.”

Ana looks him over. “...You’re taking this pretty easily.”

“I’m not, really. I’m just not showing it.”

She moves over, undoing his bonds. She rests a hand on his shoulder. “...Get some rest, Jack. You need it.”

He slowly nods, reaching up to remove his mask. He sets it to the side, before he lies down again, falling asleep almost immediately.

He doesn’t wake up for three days.

  



	2. They lose Ana

Jack can’t breathe. “Ana!”

He gets no response.

“Ana! Answer me right now, or so help me-”

The sound of a sniper shot in the distance doesn’t startle him. If anything, it puts him at ease. He’s used to the sound of her gun, and if she’s still firing shots, then she’s fine. He turns, about to head off towards her.

The sound of a second sniper rifle, from a different gun, almost stops his heart.

He drops his gun, taking off out of the transport ship. “Ana!” He barely makes it down the ramp before he’s grabbed. “Let go! Ana’s still out there!”

“Strike Commander, the orders are to pull out-”

“Fuck the orders!” He struggles in their grip. “Let go! I can get to her! I can bring her home!”

“Strike Commander. We are leaving.”

“Let go of me! That’s an order!” He struggles until he feels something jab into his neck. His panicked heart rate slows. He abruptly realizes he’s been hit with a tranquilizer before he loses consciousness.

He wakes up in the infirmary on base

-

Jack expects Gabriel to be angry with him. They’ve been playing the part of ‘bitter former friends’ for years. But he doesn’t expect the legitimate anger to break through the act.

‘What the fuck happened, Jack? How could you leave her behind??” Gabriel towers over him, leaning above him.

Jack’s sitting at his desk, trying not to flinch. “It wasn’t my call! I tried to get to her, I tried!”

“Bullshit!”

“I tried! But they wouldn’t let me- my hands were tied, Gabriel!”

As soon as the words come out of his mouth, he realizes he’s made a mistake. Because the second after those words are spoken, Gabriel Reyes’ look turns downright murderous.

“Gabe-”

“Don’t.” He grips the armrests of the chair, effectively trapping Jack. “You don’t get to use that fucking excuse for this, Jack. You don’t get to blame the UN for your fuckup and getting Ana killed.”

“Gabe, you don’t understand-”

“You always pass the blame to them. How many times have you said that when you actually could have done something, Jack?”

“You don’t understand, I’m not talking about the UN-”

“Then who the fuck are you talking about?”

“The fucking squad we were sent with!” Jack finally raises his voice, and while he’s still in shock from the mission and afraid of his husband’s anger, he gets a determined look on his face. “I tried to get to her. She turned her comm off, I kept trying to contact her, and when I heard the shot I tried to get to her. The squad held me back, literally, not letting me leave. They told me they had orders higher than me, and fucking tranquilized me to keep me from going after her.” He can feel tears in his eyes. “I fucking tried, Gabriel. There was nothing I could do.”

Gabriel’s look fades from fury, to a dull sadness. “...” He lets go, turning and walking away.

“Gabe?”

“This is still your fault, Jack.” The act is back. “You’ll have to live with that.” Gabriel turns to look at him, door open. “We all will.” He leaves the room.

Jack presses his hands to his face. Even though the accusation is part of the act, not genuine anger or fear, he can’t help but know that it’s right. It is his fault. “I’m sorry,” He whispers to the air, willing himself not to cry. “I’m so sorry...”


	3. McCree looks for Genji

McCree still feels a bit guilty about leaving Fareeha. But once she had joined the military, what did she need him for? She didn’t live in his shithole apartment anymore, she could talk to a ton of people whenever she wanted. He knows enough to know when he’s not needed.

He makes a name for himself, and not necessarily a good one. He wonders if Gabriel would be proud. He knows that Jack would be.

He hasn’t talked to anyone since he left at Gabe’s insistence. He stopped talking to Reinhardt after the loss of Ana, unable to handle the pain on his face. Angela gave up on contacting him years after he left. Genji disappeared a few weeks after McCree got patched up.

Fareeha had insisted on calling him often, though. So it’s not like he’s completely alone. Or at least that’s what he told himself.

-

He spends most of his time trying not to think about the past. He has a rule: he saves thoughts of Overwatch for when he’s drunk. It helps, somewhat, to numb the pain. Only somewhat, though.

He’s lived that way for years. So when he’s woken up by a beeping noise one night from across his hotel room, he’s confused out of his mind. He slowly shambles out of bed and over to his hat, flipping it over.

He startles fully awake when he realizes it’s his old communicator. He jams it into his ear, accepting the ping request.

Winston’s message shocks him to his core. The thought of reforming Overwatch makes him feel sick. He stares at the prompt that pops up in front of him. He is not nearly drunk enough for this.

He runs.

-

Why the fuck, McCree asks himself, did he decide to hide in this corner of the world?

He knows the answer, but he doesn’t like to think about it. He wanted to see if he could find any trace of Genji, here in Hanamura. He’s desperate to even find anything about him, to at least know that he’s alive.

He feels like he’s just an idiot. There’s no reason for Genji to come back here. He hated his family.

McCree sighs, rubbing at his face as he walks through the streets. He’s an idiot. A lonely, sad, idiot. He feels eyes on him and he sighs, turning down a side street. He doesn’t need people staring at him while he’s upset.

He wishes he could get a drink. But after the incident at the ramen truck a few weeks ago, he feels like he can’t risk being off his game. He knows sulking in an alley isn’t going to help at all, but he can’t find it in him to give a shit.

His awareness barely perks up in time for him to slam himself back against the wall, avoiding the throwing knife that flies past him. He curses under his breath. He’s getting careless. He glances down the alley to look for his attacker, but has to dive forward immediately to avoid another knife. He rolls forward before he stands, raising Peacekeeper and aiming, but it’s hit out of his hand. He snatches it out of the air with his left hand, slamming it into his attacker’s head.

The hooded attacker doesn’t even seem to notice, throwing him against the wall hard enough that he drops his gun. The man pins him to the wall.

McCree growls at him. “Let me tell you, you better get it right the first time, or-”

“ ‘Or your death will be painful’, yeah yeah. Wow. You really did get more dramatic after I left.”

He feels sick again. He slowly reaches for the man’s hood, pulling it back. “...Genji.”

Genji smiles at him. “Yo.”

He punches him right in the face. “Fuck you! You show up ten years later and think it’s fine?”

He winces, stumbling back and rubbing at his face. “...You’re mad.”

“You’re damn right I’m mad! You dropped off the fucking map!”

“I did mean to keep in contact. I did not realize I had lost my communicator until after I had left. I must have lost it in the rubble, and not noticed.” He sighs. “By the time I found anyone who had contact with you, she said you had stopped answering.”

His eyes widen. “...Angie.”

“Yes.” He nods. “...What are you doing here?”

“...Looking for you.” He picks up Peacekeeper, putting it away. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you, actually. According to Angela, you haven’t answered the recall.”

“And what, you did?”

The silence is answer enough.

“You fucking did.”

“They are my family. You are my family. It is about time I returned to one.” He holds out his hand. “Will you?”

McCree stares at him. “Give me one good reason.”

“I miss you.”

He stills.

“So does Angela. And Winston, Reinhardt, Lena-”

“I said one-”

“And Fareeha has said that she will join when she is able.”

He blinks.

Genji smiles. “...Come home, Jesse.”

McCree slowly takes his hand. “...Okay.”


	4. Jesse leaves Deadlock

Jesse has never felt more terrified in his entire life, and that’s saying something.

He and a group from the gang were just supposed to be watching the warehouse. There wasn’t supposed to be a problem.

“Why the fuck is Overwatch here??” Jesse shouts over gunfire as he ducks down behind cover.

“I don’t know!” One of the other gang members shouts back. “Why don’t you ask them?”

He growls quietly. “Asshole. We’re gonna fuckin’ die, and this fuckwit makes jokes.” He runs a hand down his face. “I can’t fuckin’ believe this shit.”

“Freeze!”

“Fuck’s sake...”

“Everyone drop your weapons! If you come quietly, we guarantee your safety!”

Jesse blinks, looking down at his gun.

“You’re full of shit!” Smartass replies, firing again.

“Boss!” Another member, this one next to Jesse, speaks up. “They might let us go!”

“Keep your mouth shut!”

“We don’t need any more trouble! We’ll be in danger with the gang anyway!”

“I said shut your fucking mouth!”

“But-”

Jesse flinches at the sound of a gunshot, eyes widening as the gang member next to him falls to the floor. He looks down at the dying man, before looking up at Smartass.

He points his gun back at the Overwatch squad. “Come any closer and I’ll fucking kill you and the rest of them!”

“Boss!”

“Oh my God-”

“What the fuck??”

“Put down the gun! Don’t hurt anyone else!” The apparent squad leader speaks again.

Jesse looks down at the body again. “...We’re gonna fuckin’ die.” He whispers to himself, again, before he looks once more at his gun.

“I said don’t get any closer!”

“Put the gun down!”

Jesse slowly raises his gun. He hasn’t made a damn choice for himself since he got himself into the goddamn gang in the first place. He might as well go out with one.

“Don’t test me!”

“This is our final-”

The gunshot interrupts the conversation. A body falls to the floor.

Jesse drops his gun, throwing up his hands. “We yield!”

The other gang members look down at Smartass’ body, before they also throw up their hands.

He closes his eyes, slowly taking a breath. He hopes the first choice he’s made in years is a good one.


	5. Ring Obtainment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smaller one today to get myself caught up.

Gabriel is anxious as hell.

He’s wanted to get a ring for Jack for years, but he’s always talked himself out of it. They’re in the middle of a war, he might want to get his own, one of them might die-

He shakes his head. Not the time to think about that.

He’s been checking ring shops for weeks, trying to find the perfect one.

He ends up having to get one custom made. Blue titanium band, with an inset yellow sapphire in a ring of small light blue spinels. The inside is engraved with the image of a fox.

He wraps the ring in cloth, putting it in a safe deposit box.

-

Jack feels confident, for once.

He’s designed the ring himself, constantly changing it over the years, redesigning it until he finally gets the courage to go for it.

He finds a small ring shop, and works with them to make sure it’s perfect.

It’s a dark grey titanium band, a large black tourmaline surrounded by a ring of small rubies. The outside of the ring has engraved wings wrapping around the curve from the stones, and the inside has the words ‘My North Star’.

He stores it in his desk, checking to see it’s there every time he enters the room.


End file.
